U.S. flu outbreak plan criticized

The federal government's plans for dealing with pandemic flu do not adequately account for the overwhelming strain an outbreak would place on hospitals and public health systems trying to cope with millions of seriously ill Americans, some public health experts say. Critics say the Bush administration's plans have left too much of the responsibility and the cost of preparing to a healthcare system that even in normal times is stretched to the breaking point and leaves millions of people without adequate access to care.